


Choices Means Skags.

by Hollow_Vessel



Series: Fl4ktivities [1]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Blood, Fl4k centric, Gen, I Had To, Injury, Mention of Death, They don’t have two million coats yet, precanon fl4k
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-01-31 04:53:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21440533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollow_Vessel/pseuds/Hollow_Vessel
Summary: Fl4k always was an odd one. They thought freely and did things not asked of them. Was it really outside of the bounds to acquire a skag pup and bring it into town?
Series: Fl4ktivities [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1547998
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Dilemma (solved)

It was a pitiful sound, unbecoming of a Pandoran creature. Fl4k heard it from a nearby cavern. Though the opening was more of a tear in the earth. A chasm formed by tectonic movement, they deduced. 

The whimpering coming from the depths had caught their attention. They tilted their head slightly and went to take a look. Small splatters of red decorated the interior walls of the crater, which led Fl4k’s gaze to the source. A creature which was curled up in the edge of the opening, legs splayed out and jaw hanging open.

The sight had caught them a bit off guard. They had simply been out to gather resources as per their instructions, this was something new to Fl4k.

Yes they had encountered creatures before, but this one was much smaller. A runt, or perhaps even a baby... A young skag, that’s what this was. It was injured, and that’s what the confusing part was. Why was it not dead? Surely some other creature could have scented the blood before Fl4k had found them...

They stared at the bundle of bloodied armor coating and flesh. It would be dead soon, if not from its injuries, the rakk that were sure to come feast on it once they sensed their weakness.

Fl4k contemplated on their course of action. The correct thing to do would be to leave it and continue on their way. But something inside of them told Fl4k something otherwise.  
Perhaps it is not the end of their hunt... as they had been taught, Fl4k was accustomed to death. Embraced it, even. But something about this specific moment was making them question a few things. Did this young skag HAVE to meet death NOW? At such a young age? After surviving for who knows how long in such a state...?

Hm.  
For once, the indexing unit felt unsure of themself. Surely there was not an answer that they did not know- And yet here they were in the impossible situation.

A part of Fl4k prompted them to continue along the trail and get to their destination.

“I suppose a look wouldn’t hurt anyone.” They said aloud. They would have to stop doing that one of these days... At least looking insane was a norm on this planet, though. Perhaps they would continue.

Fl4k stepped carefully, clawed feet both being helpful and hindering as they traversed the rocky, sandy surface and to the slightly less stable ground. Just looking at it, they could sort of guess what had happened.

They crouched down, feeling the dry wind brushing up against them as they did so, face pressed to the entrance of the opening. A green optic shone down on the squirming skag pup, who again was whining and refusing to move one of their legs. Clearly injured. They had known that. The thing that concerned them was the blood thickly coating their face. Around their eye and mouth... Face, thing. Skags were confusing, but that much red should not adorn a creature unless it is from another that they have just killed.

Fl4k stared at the pathetic creature before coming to a decision .  
The choice that this gnawing self awareness also meant that they were free to make choices as they pleased- As long as it bothered none of their... masters. 

It wouldn’t be the first time Fl4k had done something their own way either, really. Though it would surely be the craziest. Perhaps the best choice. Fl4k could do something that felt more useful than alphabetizing information, that half of which could not be deciphered by anyone on the planet. 

Bracing themself against the ground, Fl4k reached down and picked up the little guy. Of course it tried to bite them, but they were quick in hoisting it up above the rock which had been trapping it.

The skag squealed and barked and SNARLED at Fl4k, but they didn’t care. They acted indifferent as they got a good look at the injuries of the animal.

It looked like they had gotten into a fight and THEN ended up in the difch somehow. What with the claw marks and bites taken out of it.

Fl4k had expected the little one to run away now. But it did not move.  
Perhaps it was too weak to leave just yet?

That made sense.  
And that was how Fl4k found themself snuggling a skag pup back into town, having wrapped it in a blanket from the basket they were originally supposed to be delivering (which they still did, just minus one cloth).

The next step was illogical. It was injured and it was unsure if they were survive or perish.  
But Fl4k makes it- HIM, Mr. Chew, in honor of the blanket it had eaten through with the acid it spat. 

It was easier than calling him skag, and it would be easier to introduce him if he had a name.


	2. Chapter 2

The walk back through town was easy. Locals recognized Fl4k as the common text sifting and sorting bot. They paid no mind to them. They found this quite comforting, that they could sneak by with something so odd with such ease. Though, they did find themself thinking slightly less of the townsfolk.

Fl4k wasn’t sure if they were the best at hiding a skag in their arms, even if it was weakened and covered in a cloth. Surely someone would question them.   
Not that Fl4k wanted that to happen, but they knew it would. It was an inevitability of their close quartered life. 

Once they were behind closed doors, they would set the bundle of blood and rough hard plates down. The blanket unfurled in an odd way, much like a collapsing box, only, spherical. Fl4k watched with a glowing optic as the little thing squirmed slightly before flopping onto its belly and hissing again, hackles raised.  
Fear.

That’s what it was. But Fl4k was no entity to fear. They would make it their goal to help this injured little creature. 

With a slow precision, they raised a four fingered, mechanical hand up to the beast.   
The smell of metal and electrics made the creature tilt its head up, jaws parted to catch more of the intriguing scent. What was it? What? Food? Predator? 

The little one’s head was already fuzzy before, but now it was confused. Pain clashing with any mental processes, however primitive they may be. Mr. Chew kept his jaws parted, only going off of scent. The scent of the nesting material, oil, metal, that meant bandits which meant harm and death and flooding of bloods and fires.

What took Chew by surprise was the hand pressed against the top of his aching head. The limb was cool to the touch and seemed to radiate both a gentle warmth and a soothing coolness. The hiss in the skag’s jaws quickly turned into a sort of small, meek mewl.

Fl4k found their expression shifting to be a bit more happy. The incline of their glinting green eye. Very few things brought about that reaction from their circuitry, but here they were, feeling joy over this small moment that would only last as long. A moment. 

After seemingly calming the creature in a single head pat, Fl4k took a bolder step, with both hands moving slowly, they lifted up the creature, then held it out to be eye level. The skag clearly could only see half of Fl4k, the other eye being... 

Fl4k looked at the rest of the practically wiggling creature. The rest of it was fine- Maybe that leg wasn’t. Hm.

A poke to the offending limb confirmed that it pained the skag.

A thought of this being cruel crossed Fl4k’s mind, but another combated it. They were saving this creature from a sorry life baking under the sun, only to be brought to Death by a runner wheel smashing its head in.  
Allowing it to be... cared for, would surely be better.

And then they were set. They just had to fix the injuries of Mr. Chew, then feed it and... Then?...  
Then was then, now was now.

But how to proceed...  
They could fix the leg first. It would be easy enough. Fl4k gently set the creature back onto the work table, then carefully outstretched its leg. It wiggles MORE at that, but didn’t make any sort of loud noise that would get the two of them discovered. 

Fl4k squinted as they did their work, securing the leg with some wrappings, generously donated by the cloth Fl4k had carried them to town in.

The eye would be harder to fix. Fl4k watched as Mr. Chew wandered around the room, testing the ability of their freshly wrapped leg to hold weight. It seemed to be a fine solution, but the creature still walked lightly.  
Content with their work, the archiving bot began sifting through their collection of tools and spare parts. Perhaps they could... use something here to help the skag. But that would require things that Fl4k lacked. A medical license was one, the other being medical supplies. Fl4k looked to Mr. Chew once more, to see that he was currently climbing onto the cot Fl4k used to power down for the night.

The skag made it on top and instantly rolled over to sleep.

Skag pups were... Adorable. And apparently sleepy. Lazy little thing, all it had done today was be carried by Fl4k. They blinked slowly towards the creature, before going to settle down beside the creature. They themself didn’t have a blanket, there was no need for one, and no one had given them one. But Mr. Chew had his blanket. Fl4k would lie it over him before relaxing, positioned in a way to shelter the skag pup.

And thusly they both powered down, in their own way.


End file.
